The Dot Factor
In Part 2, I mention that the Taurus 327 Defender TORO’s shootability is augmented by the fuller feeling LOK Grips Veloce set and, more importantly, the red dot that sits on its topstrap. Even though the double-action-only bobbed hammer made it impossible to thumb-cock and carefully shoot off the bag, I thought the groups it printed with nearly all .327 Fed Mag or .32 H&R Mag cartridges were quite satisfactory.
On paper, it seems like this gun really likes fast 100-grain bullets but there wasn’t much of a practical difference with any of the Federal Premium or American Eagle 85-grain loads.
Shooting Off The Bench And Freestyle
Unless one is shooting from an expensive mechanical fixture like an expensive Ransom rest, I’ve noticed that there tend to be slight levels of user-induced error when shooting pistols for groups in this manner. I’ve become accustomed to iron-sighted revolvers having a degree of error in their groups despite one’s best efforts. I didn’t expect anything different for the Taurus 327 Defender TORO.
After I finished shooting and chronographing everything, I was pleasantly surprised to see that I was mistaken, and the groups remained nice and tight in spite of this being a compact-framed revolver with a double-action-only trigger. (As much as I found the LOK Grips Veloce stocks to be helpful, they’re still smaller grips for a compact-sized revolver. The shooter must still contend with the limitations of shooting such a gun).
During my review, I causally shot the 327 Defender TORO freestyle to get a feel for it, considering how different it is from the revolvers I typically shoot. I ended up shooting two different NRA B8 targets posted at 10-yards without putting too much effort, and punching out the 10-ring wasn’t hard at all. It demonstrates the power of the red dot on a revolver whose size makes it otherwise historically challenging to shoot well.
Perhaps this is another data point to the importance of vision in proper handgun technique (because the red dot’s sight picture is superior to the iron sights found on compact revolvers)?
Muzzle Velocities
Although qualitative and not quantitative, I’m also wondering whether the increased muzzle velocities and lighter bullets that .32-caliber cartridges like the .327 Federal Magnum or the .32 H&R Mag use could also be a factor in tidier groups compared to the traditional .38-caliber wheelguns I’m used to shooting.
After all, the faster a bullet travels toward its target (and the less felt recoil it produces) means that there are fewer chances for external variables to interfere with group size.
I base my qualitative hunch after observing countless targets shot carefully with slower-moving 147-grain 9mm Luger rounds in comparison with faster-moving 147-grain loads (e.g., competition-style ammo that makes minor power factor vs. faster JHP duty rounds). Almost always, faster-moving bullets correlate with tighter groups.
In the case of these revolvers, the slower-moving .38 Special cartridge has been my frame of reference for everything, especially compact-frame Taurus revolvers with three-inch barrels.
The Constraints Of Red Dots On Revolvers
Unfortunately, I didn’t have any gear on hand like a dot-friendly holster or .32-caliber cartridge speedloaders that would have allowed me to run some more dynamic shooting exercises under a shot-timer. However, I’ve spent plenty of time dry-firing this revolver at home. The accuracy benefit of the Holosun EPS Carry that’s mounted to the 327 Defender TORO is undeniable, but there’s also no such thing as a free lunch either.
Due to a confluence of factors such as the shape and size of the 327 Defender TORO, the smaller size of the EPS Carry (which is meant primarily for slim and sub-compact semi-automatic carry guns), and the architecture of all double-action revolvers, I think it takes more effort to be fully proficient with this compact-frame dotted revolver to arrive at the point where I’d be comfortable carrying it for defensive-purposes out in the real world.
It’s not impossible but I think such a gun (regardless of caliber) objectively would require more effort on the end-user’s part.
The Sight Height Issue
On most any revolver, whose frame is built to support its cylinder, sights and dots have no choice but to sit high on the frame—just like their barrels. Without going into the weeds about revolver architecture, this tends to result in the most efficient layout for a wheelgun. But this also gives revolvers an inherently higher bore axis.
For example, I took a measuring tape and measured the distance from the bottom of the 327 Defender TORO’s grip to the middle of the EPS Carry’s housing. This imaginary diagonal line measures 6 ⅜ inches. I took the same measuring tape and measured the same diagonal line on the Smith & Wesson M&P 2.0 Metal Carry Comp 9mm pistol that I’ve also been working with. The distance between the bottom of the full-size magazine base pad to the middle of its red-dot’s housing (it currently wears an Aimpoint ACRO P-2) was only 6 inches.
Drawing and Presenting a Red Dot Equipped Revolver
The distance between both points on a full-size double-stack 9mm service pistol was shorter, and our line’s angle less severe compared to the “smaller” handgun. So, even if one is used to drawing and presenting a red-dot sight with a semi-automatic pistol, they’d all but have to re-learn it when it’s mounted on a revolver.
This isn’t impossible, but it takes additional effort to get used to. Even when shooting the 327 Defender TORO casually, there were times when I lost the dot and had to keep “looking for it,” something that I don’t have trouble with on semi-autos since 97% of my handgun shooting involves red-dot sights these days.
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Continued In Part 4
